Automatic feed-regulating device for flax-brakes.



PATEN'IED DEG. l2, 1905.

G. H. ELLIS. AUTOMATIC FEED REGULA'IING DEVICE EGR I'LAX BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1905.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY19, 1905.

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PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES GEORGE H. ELLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL -HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEV JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed May 19, 1905. Serial No. 261,147.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE II. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Feed-Regulating Devices for Flax-Brakes, of which the following is a complete specification.

The invention consists, essentially, in regulating the feed of straw to a flax-brake by interposing between a feeding mechanism and the machine a controlling device actuated by means of parts which receive movement through the variations in the thickness of the swath of straw passing such part.

The invention is especially applicable to fiaX-brakes having coperating pairs of grasping-chains or a grasping-chain and a suitable coacting slide between which the straw is held and conveyed while being operated upon and to which the straw is fed by means of a frictionally driven feeding device. Variations in the thickness of the swath of straw held by the grasping-chain are made to auto matically actuate the controlling-lever of the friction-clutch through which the feeding device is operated. Without an automatic feed-regulator the constant attention of the operator is required to insure a uniform quantity of straw passing beneath the said grasping chains and even then the corrective effect is not immediately felt, whereas with the improved device herein set forth any change in the feed of the straw is checked at once, no attention to this feature is required by the operator, and a practically uniform flow of straw is secured.

The type of flax-breaking machine to which this invention is applied is fully described in detail in an application filed by me December 21, 1904, Serial No. 237,771, entitled Flax-breaking machine, and the feeding mechanism used in connection with said machine is fully set forth in application Serial No. 228,494, entitled "Feeding mechanism for flax-brakes, led byme October 15, 1904. The preferred form of the invention is embodied in the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents in dotted lines a plau view of the feed or receiving end of a fiaX- brake of the type before referred to and in which is embodied my invention, the latter being shown in full lines, as is also the grasping and conveying chain and the feed-chain. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 shows in side elevation the needlepoints on the needle-frame and cooperating adjacent parts. Fig. 5 represents in elevation the essential elements of the invention diagrammatically arranged in order to more clearly illustrate their operation.

Referring to the figures, 1 designates a portion of -the frame of a fiaX-breaking machine 2, one of the breaking-roller concaves 2 the breaking-roller shaft; 3, one of the scutching-drums; 4, the shaft for the breaking-rollers at the rear end of the machine, and 5 the cross-shaft which drives the said shafts 2 and 4, these parts all being shown in dotted lines.

Arranged on the forward end of the frame of the machine is the transversely-extending shaft which supports the forward end of the grasping and conveying chain 7, and on this shaft adjacent to said chain is secured the toothed feed-wheel 8. Below the grasping and conveying chain 7 and cooperating therewith to hold the straw is the slide-rail 7.

In front of the machine is placed the table 9, on which is mounted the feed-chain 10, the delivery end of said chain being supported u on a suitable sprocket-wheel 11, secured to t e shaft 12. The fingers 10 of the feedchain 10 press the straw tightly in the passage-way 13 and against the points 14 of the vertically reciprocating needle frame 14. This 'needle-frame 14 pivots at 142 and is actuated from the shaft 15 with the intermediate pitman connection 16. The needleframe 14 is arranged to traverse with its points 14 the delivery end of the straw passage-way 13, as shown in Fig. 4, and the toothed feed-wheel 8 delivers the straw from the said needle to the receiving end of the grasping-chain 7.

The above-mentioned parts are all fully described and illustrated in the applications before cited, and hence will not be minutely described herein.

The friction-clutch for driving the feedshaft 12 is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. On the outer end of the shaft 12 is rigidly secured the disk 17, and sleeved loosely adjacent IOO thereto on the same shaft is the pulley 18, having the disk portion 18, preferably integral therewith and corresponding with the disk 17. A coil-spring 19 exerts a pressure normally tending to hold the disks in contact with each other, the degree of pressure being regulated by means of the long transversely-extending bent lever 20, which pivots at 20. The upwardly-extendin short end of this lever 20 engages the co ar 21, which sleeves on the shaft 12 and engages the end of the coil-spring 19. The amount of pressure between the disks will determine the degree to which the straw in the passage-way 13 is compressed and held vagainst the points 14 of the needle-frame 14, and in this manner control the rapidity of the feed. It is therefore apparent that a suitable movement given to the free end of the lever 2O will regu- 228,494, before cited. The slide 7 being fixed, it follows that any variations in the quantity of straw passing between the chain i 7 and said slide will cause a slight vertical movement of the chain. In Fig. a bunch of straw is shown between the chain and slide directly beneath the supporting-truck 24 of the regulating-lever 22, and from this figure, as well as in Fig. 2, it will appear how variations in the swath of straw will produce vertical movement of the contacting portion of the grasping-chain, which will in turn communicate an increased movement to the free end of the regulating -lever. If too much straw is passing beneath the truck 24, the lever 22 will be raised, permitting the clutchlever to fall slightly, and thus lessen the driving power of the clutch-disks 17 and 18. lf less straw than the normal amount relate the feed, and this movement is automatically imparted to said lever by the following-described means: A lever 22 extends obliquely forward between the upper and lower runs of the grasping-chain 7, being pivotally mounted, preferably on the bracket 23, which in turn is secured to a cross-beam of the machine-frame 1. The pivotal aXis of said lever is at 22 while-secured to the under side thereofin alinement with the graspingchain 7 is the small wheeled truck 24, which operates as a vertically-movable support for said lever 22. The truck 24 rests upon the lower run of the grasping-chain 7, and any variation in the quantity of -straw which passes between the grasping-chain and slide 7 will impart a corresponding movement to the truck 24 and lever 22 supported thereon. To the outer or free end of the said lever 22 is secured a rope 25, which extends upwardly about the two pulleys 26, these pulleys being journaled upon a suitable support 27, secured to the frame of the machine. The rope 25 returns and connects with the end of the clutch-lever 20, an adjustable engagement therewith being effected by means of the toothed bar 28. To press the truck 24 of the regulating-lever 22 into close and constant engagement with the grasping-chain 7 and to also act as a counterbalance for the clutchlever 22 the weight 29 is suspended from the outer end of said regulating-lever.

The operation of the device is as follows: Straw is placed upon the table and forced into the straw passage-way 13 by the feeding-chain 10 and against the reciprocating needle-points 14. The straw is then taken from the rear of the needle by the toothed feed-wheel 8 and delivered between thegrasping-chain 7 above and the slide 7 below, between which members it is held and conveyed rearwardly to be operated upon by the breakin -rollers For a more detailed account of t e above-mentioned steps reference is made to my application, Serial N o.

quired is passing kbeneath said truck 24, the regulating-lever will in consequence be drawn down by the weight 29, which will also raise the clutch-lever and increase the effectiveness of the feed-chain 10 through its drivingclutch. To increase the normal feed, the clutch-lever is put in a higher notch in the notched bar 28, while to decrease the normal feed the said lever is placed in a lower notch.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a flax-breaking machine, in combination, straw holding and conveying means, a feeding device, and mechanism actuated by said straw holding and conveying means for regulating said feeding device.

2. ln a flax-breaking machine, in combination, straw holding and conveying means, a feedinor device, a friction-clutch fordriving said feeding device, and means actuated by the said straw holding and conveying means for regulating said feeding device.

3. ln a dax-breaking machine, in combination, a longitudinally-arranged graspingchain beneath which the straw is held and conveyed, a feeding-chain, a friction-clutch for driving said feeding-chain, a clutch-lever, and means actuated by the vertical movement of said grasping-chain for controlling said clutch-lever.

4. In a flax-breaking machine, in combi-- IOO IIO

across the lower run of the grasping-chain, a roller-truck secured to said regulating-lever and bearing upon said grasping-chain, and a suitable connection between the ends of said clutch-lever and regulating-lever.

6. In a aX-breaking machine, in combination, a longitudinally-arranged graspingchain beneath which the straw is held and conveyed, a feeding-chain, a friction-clutch for driving said feeding-chain, a clutch-lever, a regulating-lever actuated by the vertical movement of the said grasping-chain, and an adjustable connection interposed between the ends of the clutch-lever and regulatinglever.

7`. In a flax-breaking machine, in combination, a longitudinally-arranged graspingchain beneath which the straw is held and conveyed, a feeding-chain, a friction-clutch for driving said feeding-chain, a clutch-lever, a regulating-lever actuated by the vertical movement of the said gras ping-chain for controlling said clutch-lever, and a weight Jfor counterbalancing the said clutch-lever and regulating and clutch'levers, and a weight suspended from the regulating-lever for pressing same into contact with the graspingchain and for counterbalancing the weight of said clutch-lever.

GEORGE H. ELLIS.

Witnesses:

MARGARET A. SWEENEY, -J. C. WARNES. 

